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Poster:	Lou Davenport	Date:	Dec 28, 2022 5:47pm
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Ummm

I meant that the article intro and the blurbs justifying each guitarist's inclusion in the list suggest that the magazine was laying special emphasis on the rhythm side of what "rhythm guitar" players do.

There's nothing wrong with Bob's rhythm, but it's not primarily what he does. And like Phil, his chords are almost as likely to be syncopated as on the main beats. So the drums end up being almost the sole driver of the rhythm.

Bob's gift IMO has been his utterly idiosyncratic and sometimes brilliant weird chords. Few if any other rhythm guitar players would ever have produced such chords.They enriched the harmonies in the group playing, added to the jazzy feel, and I bet inspired Jerry to go off in directions that more obvious chord progressions wouldn't have taken him.

But I suspect none of that was any part of the magazine's search strategy in rating "rhythm guitar" players.

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Poster:	wlg3	Date:	Dec 29, 2022 7:49am
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Ummm

He studied and emulated jazz pianists for that unique guitar style. I've also read that Bob's fingers are freakishly long, and he can make chord shapes that others can't.